Break-ins soar across the NT
Business and home break-ins soar by up to 71pc while police issue ‘advice’
THE latest crime figures show an out-of-control increase in home and business break-ins in Darwin and Palmerston, with some residents now mulling over taking law enforcement into their own hands.
Crime figures for the year to December, released on Friday, show a massive 71 per cent increase in commercial breakins and an 8.7 per cent increase in house break-ins in Darwin.
In Palmerston, commercial and house break-ins were both up more than 20 per cent compared to the same time last year. The figures represent a second straight month in which there has been a substantial year-on-year increase in break-ins reported in official police figures.
THE latest crime figures show an out-of-control increase in home and business break-ins in Darwin and Palmerston, with some residents now mulling over taking law enforcement into their own hands.
Crime figures for the year to December, released on Friday, show a massive 71 per cent increase in commercial breakins and an 8.7 per cent increase in house break-ins in Darwin.
In Palmerston, commercial and house break-ins were both up more than 20 per cent compared to the same time last year.
The figures represent a second straight month in which there has been a substantial year-on-year increase in break-ins reported in official police figures.
“Police are working closely with businesses to provide crime prevention advice and support to reduce the incidence and impact of this offending,” Commander Brent Warren said in a statement released along with the latest crime figures.
The figures come amid sustained community concern about property crime and youth justice, with a packed community crime forum in Palmerston last month.
In Alice Springs, house break-ins were down by nearly a third but commercial breakins were up by a similar percentage.
Chief Minister and Police Minister Michael Gunner ear- lier this month announced $10 million in new funding to go towards youth crime prevention, admitting the system is “broken”.
“The crime statistics re- leased yesterday are simply not acceptable,” Mr Gunner told the Sunday Territorian.
“Government shares the public frustration with crime and anti-social behaviour.
“We are acting to ensure that the revolving door of crime, detention, release and reoffending is broken”
Construction of a $15 million 24-hour police station in Palmerston – announced by the CLP and fast-tracked by Labor – is now due to begin in the 2016-17 financial year, Mr Gunner said.
Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released earlier this month show violent crimes, public disorder and theft to be the most common offences committed by youth offenders, with each showing a substantial increase over the past year, reversing previous gains.
One extreme group of vigilantes which has emerged in recent times now purports to “take back our streets” from criminals.
The group, “Darwin – Take Back our Streets” appears to have loose links to Melbournebased vigilantes, The Soldiers of Odin.
Last week, prominent criminal Barrister John Lawrence SC criticised Channel 9 and the NT News for “campaigning relentlessly” on youth crime, forcing the Territory Government into a crackdown on youth crime.
“More often than not those quick fixes don’t really fix much at all,” he told Nine News Darwin.
A Nine News poll found 91.1 per cent of respondents disagreed with Mr Lawrence’s comments about media campaigning.